Our volunteer readers and chapters are the face of Read Aloud, doing the rewarding work, week after week, of motivating children to read for fun. Children who read for pleasure grow into better readers and are more likely to excel in school and beyond. That makes Read Aloud a long-term economic development program.
By supporting Read Aloud, donors make possible the recruitment and organization of our army of 1,100 weekly volunteers, intentional book distribution efforts that stress children’s book choice and ownership, and public education programs that teach families about the importance of reading together.
Ways to give to Read Aloud WV:
- Give to our Annual Fund.
Read Aloud West Virginia exists entirely on donations from individuals, businesses and foundations. Read Aloud supporters make everything else possible – winning grants and awards for book distribution, leveraging gifts into higher-impact projects, and collaborating with schools and other groups (see page 1). Mailing a check is still the most efficient way to give. Donors are also welcome to give here on our website.
- Direct a Required Minimum Distribution from a tax-deferred account.
At age 70½, the federal government requires owners of tax-deferred retirement accounts to take a minimum distribution. Have your financial institution send the disbursement directly to a charity, such as Read Aloud, and the IRS doesn’t count it as taxable income. If it is $500 or more, it may also qualify for state NIP tax credits. - Qualify for NIP tax credits.
Donate $500 or more to a qualifying organization, such as Read Aloud, and receive West Virginia Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits. The credits reduce state personal income tax or corporate net income tax bills by as much as half the gift amount. They can be spread out and used over a five-year period. Donors can receive as much as $100,000 a year in NIP tax credits. Taxpayers may reduce their tax bills by no more than half. Because it is a tax credit, it lowers a tax bill whether the taxpayer itemizes or not. - If you are a Kroger customer, set your Kroger Plus card account to benefit Read Aloud West Virginia. Then, shop as usual, and every quarter, Kroger sends Read Aloud a check for a percentage of your spending. Encourage a friend or relative to sign up, too. This kind of passive income is extremely efficient for an organization.
- If you shop at Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com. Designate Read Aloud as your chosen charity, and as you shop, Amazon will forward a commission to Read Aloud. You must remember to shop at smile.amazon.com for Read Aloud to benefit. Recruit a friend and double your impact.
- Shop at Books-a-Million’s West Virginia stores on Saturday, Sept. 21. Save the date. When you shop at a BAM! store in Barboursville, Beckley, Bluefield, Bridgeport, Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Vienna or Wheeling on Sept. 21 and mention Read Aloud at the check-out, Books-a-Million will donate a generous percentage of your purchase to Read Aloud West Virginia.
If you’re only able to give your time right now, please visit our Get Involved page to learn more. We’re so grateful for every donation that comes in and every volunteer that shows up. It’s impossible to say it enough, but we try – thank you for all you do for WV literacy and Read Aloud WV.